United Services staff to lead national webinar

Denise Coffey, Staff WriterReminder News

Two United Services staff members will lead a national webinar on the transition to the fifth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-5) on July 29. The DSM is the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States. It contains a listing of diagnostic criteria for every psychiatric disorder recognized by the U.S. health care system. Treatment recommendations and payment guidelines are often determined by DSM classifications, making the transition to DSM-5 crucial for behavioral health providers across the nation.

United Services IT Director Josh Longiaru and Application Support Manager Susan Soares will host the webinar, "The DSM 5 Journey: An Organization's Transition to DSM 5 and the Lessons Learned" for "Behavioral Healthcare" magazine on July 29. Longiaru is a certified health care technology specialist. Soares is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker responsible for writing technical and clinical procedures.

Longiaru and Soares will speak to a national online audience about how the agency prepared for the transition, especially with its impact on electronic health records, or EHR. US has been able to keep up with a rising demand for behavioral health services in northeastern Connecticut because of its EHR, according to Communications Director John Goodman.

Connecticut will mandate use of the DSM5 in the future, according to Longiaru. Many providers have put off training their staff for it because of the uncertain deadline and time and expense involved. One major concern is the cost of licensing. The DSM is administered by the American Psychiatric Association, which charges a per user per year fee for anyone with access to the electronic DSM5. Previously they had charged a one-time per person fee. The 950-page manual retails for about $120.

The DSM5 changes coincide with updates to the "International Classification of Disease Manual, 10th Edition." Federal mandates require medical providers to begin using ICD10 codes by October 2015. "Hopefully we won't hit any roadblocks when it comes to billing for services," Longiaru said. "We'll have up to year to make sure the system is ready and able to bill."